Surprise
by Ronda Sexton
Summary: Chakotay asks the Senior Staff to help plan a surprise party for the Captain's 40th birtday.


Title: Surprise!

Author: Guess Who

Rating:

Chakotay approached the table where Tom, B'Elanna, and Harry sat eating a late lunch. The mess hall was almost empty. "May I join you," he asked.

"Sure," said Tom pointing to the empty chair. "Have a seat."

Chakotay sat down. "I need the three of you to help me with something," he began. "The Captain's birthday is in three weeks. It'll be her 40th birthday. I'd like to have a special party for her."

They all smiled at the idea. Tom was the first to speak. "I'll be glad to help. The past few months have been really hard on all us, but especially the Captain."

"I agree with Tom," began B'Elanna. "This is something that we all need. Will she know about it, or will it be a surprise party?"

Harry grinned, "I think a surprise party would be a great idea."

"In fact, I want it to be a surprise," answered Chakotay. "Can the three of you meet with me in my office after you get off shift? I know your lunch break is almost over right now."

"We'll be there," said B'Elanna. Tom and Harry nodded their agreement

"Well, I'll see you then," said Chakotay. "Thanks."

Tom, Harry, and B'Elanna walked down the corridor to Chakotay's office. They were all eager to set up a special party for the Captain. Tom pressed the button to request entry.

The door slid open. "Come in," said Chakotay. "We have a lot of planning to do. I want this to be the best party we've ever had on the ship."

The all sat down at the conference table. Chakotay handed them all PADDs. "Tom," he began, I'd like you to design a holoprogram for the party. Harry, if you could get with Neelix on the menu that would help. No Leola root in anything. B'Elanna, I need you to help me plan the other aspects of the party."

Tom tapped the PADD against his hand. "What type of setting were you thinking of, Commander?"

"Well, since she's from Indiana, maybe somewhere there. I know when Captain Braxton could not return us to our own time but leave us at Earth, she was really disappointed. So do a little research and see if you can find something that would remind her of home," answered Chakotay.

"How about Indiana Dunes National Park" suggested Harry? "She once mentioned to me that she spent time there. We could do a cook out on the shores of Lake Michigan."

B'Elanna nodded, "We could do a beach party theme. It would be better the Paxau Resort because it's a place that will have good memories for her."

Chakotay grinned, "Think you can program that, Tom?"

"I sure can," he replied with a grin. "I've been there too. I'll add some touches to adapt it to a party venue so we have places to sit and eat. I'll also add changing rooms for swimming."

"You three don't know how much this will mean to Kathryn. She has been really stressed out lately. She needs this birthday to be something really special," said Chakotay.

"We'll have it all ready on time, Chakotay," said B'Elanna. "You keep her too busy to notice what we're up to. You're good at that." She winked at him and the other two grinned. They were all happy that their commanding officers had gone public with their relationship.

"Well, all of you go for now. We can meet again in a few days for updates," said Chakotay as he stood up. "Right now, I need to meet Kathryn for supper."

Chakotay sat the spaghetti on the table. They had just finished their salads. Kathryn smiled at him. "I love your spaghetti. I'm surprised with the meals you've been fixing for suppers in our quarters that I haven't gained a lot of weight."

"You look perfect, Kathryn. You needed a little more meat on your bones. You used to skip too many meals," said Chakotay. He served them each a generous portion of pasta. "Enjoy," he said with a grin.

"I always do," she replied. "So what pressing business did you have in your office," she asked?

"Oh, I just had a few things to tend to. Nothing for you to worry about," he answered. "The past few months have been crazy. I just needed to get caught up. I'm all for a long stretch of calm. We've had more than our share of excitement," said Chakotay.

"I agree. Let's see being tossed back to the 21st century, Macro-viruses, Q…. just those three were enough for me. Q wanting to mate with me was so unexpected…. I want to have children some day, but not his. I'm almost 40. Being stuck in the Delta Quadrant is not the life I expected. Though there have been compensations." She reached across and took his hand. "I am so happy we have each other. The crew is happy for too."

He gently squeezed her hand. "I am happy we're together. I thought it was a nice gesture on Tom's part to give us the winnings from the pool after he won."

"I think being proven right was enough pay off for Tom," chuckled Kathryn. "I know the undercover mission was hard for both of you. That may have also been a part of it."

He shook his head. "I'm glad it was a ruse. I was really angry at the time, but eventually I realized that it was necessary. But now Seska is gone for good."

"Do you regret that her baby wasn't yours, Chakotay," she asked gently.

"In some ways yes," he answered honestly. "I want children, and even if he would have been conceived without my consent, he would have still been a part of me and my people." He paused thoughtfully. "Could you have accepted the child with Seska as his mother with all that she's done to us?"

"Yes, I could have because he would have been your son. Since we are together, I would have raised him as my own," she answered wistfully.

"Well, I know we've talked about children, I just wasn't sure how you would have felt about Seska's baby," he said softly.

"Someday, Chakotay," she promised. "I just want to have more time for our relationship to grow." She grinned at him. "There's already a baby pool. So I know we have the crew's blessings."

He laughed. "The crew is happy for us. I think they're surprised it didn't happen a lot sooner."

Kathryn pushed her empty plate aside. "I'm stuffed. You make great spaghetti. I think a nice hot bubble bath before bedtime is just what we need."

He stood and began clearing the table. "Afterwards," he leered at her playfully. "We can practice making babies."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll go run the water," she answered in a seductive tone. "Don't take too long. You know what I mean." She slid her hand down his back letting it linger on his butt.

"I'll be there before you can say Zefram Cochrane," he said with a slight intake of breath as she gave him a slight squeeze.

"I'll be waiting," she said over her shoulder as she walked away.

Tom sat in front of his console working on the holoprogram for the Captain's birthday party. He wanted it to be perfect. She had done so much for him. There was nothing he would not do for her. When she and Chakotay had gone public with their relationship, he ended having the winning date. He was so happy for them, he gave them the winnings. It surprised them, especially Chakotay. The look on his face had been worth it.

Indiana Dunes National Park was a beautiful spot. He had fond memories of camping trips there when he was growing up. It was one of the few places that his dad dropped the "admiral" persona and was just himself. The beach on Lake Michigan had been a place where he could just be a kid. He also knew the Captain loved it. It would be the perfect setting for her party. He extended the picnic area so there would be plenty of room for the crew to sit and eat. The bathhouse he add had all the conveniences of Voyager. He hope that Harry would be able to come up with a good menu. Neelix had strange ideas about food at times. The cook out would work well with the huge barbeque pit he had programmed. He planned to make the program a part of the Captain's gift. It would be hers to use whenever she liked. There would be gentle waves so that Naomi could go into the water with her mother and not be afraid. He saved the program and loaded to the PADD Chakotay had given him. Checking the computer, he saw holodeck one was free. He left his quarters eager to check the program to make sure it was exactly what he wanted.

Harry and Neelix were in the empty mess hall talking about what foods were to be served at the Captain's birthday party. He was going to make sure the cookout would be just what Chakotay wanted. They both sat where they could see the door so they could quickly change the subject if the Captain came in.

"I know Tom is programming in a huge barbeque pit, so I want grilled hamburgers. We also need potato salad, baked beans, and a birthday cake. The Commander insists no Leola root be served," said Harry firmly. "He wants this to be a perfect party for the Captain."

"I'm for whatever will make Captain Janeway happiest," said Neelix. "I recall from Kes' party that she loved my Jebelian Fudge cake, so I'll make that for her too."

"That'll be perfect, Neelix. Though instead of 40 candles, I think using number candles like these will work better," said Harry showing Neelix an image on his PADD.

"I can't wait. The Captain is going to be so surprised. It'll be hard to keep this a secret. She knows her birthday is coming up, so she'll be expecting something," bubbled Neelix.

"Remember, Neelix, not a word, or you may find yourself scrubbing plasma conduits with a toothbrush for a long time," warned Harry.

"Not a word, I remember how delighted Kes was with her surprise party. I want to see that same look on the Captain's face," replied Neelix.

"Okay, you know what we want, so be ready," said Harry as he stood up. "I'll check in with you soon."

This was going to be the best party Voyager ever had. B'Elanna was going to make sure of that. A cook out at Indiana Dunes National Park would be just what the Captain needed. She knew Tom was making sure there were enough tables for everyone to sit and eat. Dinner, cake, and gifts along with various beach activities would be fun for everyone. She had spoken with Tom to make sure he also included sailboats and paddle boats. The research she had done on old fashioned watercrafts had been well worth the effort. Her engineering crew was excited about the party. She had gotten some suggestions from them. In fact Joe had suggested the boats. She had let her team know that if anyone breathed a word of this letting the Captain hear, they would be scrubbing plasma conduits with a toothbrush till they got back home.

She saved all the details to her PADD and sent a copy to Chakotay for his approval.

Tom waited impatiently at the entrance of the holodeck. He wanted the others to see his program and make sure everyone liked it. He knew the Captain was busy in her Ready Room reading reports. That's why he chose this time. Voices down the corridor caught his attention. They were finally here.

"Let's see what you've done, Tom," said Chakotay.

The doors slid open to a beautiful setting. The program had turned out just as Tom had hoped. The expressions on their faces confirmed his opinion that this was probably the best program he had ever done.

They all wandered about looking at all the details. It looked as if they were back home on earth.

B'Elanna eyed the water birds flying overhead warily. "I hope you make the birds mess free," she ventured.

"Definitely," said Tom "No bird droppings in this program."

"The beach volleyball courts are a nice touch, Tom," added Harry. "But no volley teams?"

"Absolutely not," said Tom. "This is for the Captain and crew. Your volley players can stay in the resort program. Beside this program will be part of my gift to the Captain, and she is not too fond of your teams."

"Tom, I think you've done a wonderful job. Don't change a thing. It's also great that you're making the program a gift to the Captain. I know she'll love it," said Chakotay. "Now before she comes looking for me, we'd better end the program and leave. Let's try to meet tomorrow to fine tune things. Kathryn's birthday is three days away."

"Computer end program," said Tom. The beautiful scenery was replaced by the holodeck grid.

They all left quickly glad that the party plans were going so well.

Kathryn Janeway sat at her desk in her ready room. She had finished with the last report. Before long, she'd meet Chakotay in the mess hall for supper. Her birthday was in three days. He hadn't said anything about. She wasn't sure he was planning anything. She was turning forty. It seemed as if they had been out here forever. She still felt grief over the crew they had lost. There had been some really bad times. Being stranded on that planet when the Kazon with Seska's help had taken Voyager had to be one of the worst. If Tom and the Talaxians had not managed to take control back, they'd all be dead by now. Being thrown back to earth of the past had been a challenge. The biggest disappointment had been Captain Braxton refusing to let them stay at earth in their right century. The Temporal Prime Directive prohibited him from doing so. He had been from the future, so she wondered what he knew.

She shook her head as she recalled Q wanting to mate with her. She longed for a child. Samantha Wildman seemed to do well with Naomi. The crew all doted on her and helped look after her. She was certain the crew would do the same if she had a child. She and Chakotay had discussed the potential need for children to be born to replace the crew as they aged. She felt old, much older than forty. So much responsibility and no help from Starfleet, this was her life now. She stood up; it was time to go meet Chakotay in the mess hall.

Chakotay smiled as Kathryn joined him at the table. "I was beginning to think you got lost," he joked.

"No, just lost track of time," she said. If he wasn't going to bring up her birthday, she would not say anything. With all the things that had happened over the past several months, she guessed she should just be happy they were still alive and still had Voyager.

"So did you get all the reports finished," he inquired. He felt bad. He knew she thought he'd forgotten her birthday, but he reminded himself the surprise party would be balm to her weary soul.

"Yes, that's one part of being the Captain that has less allure. All the reports to deal with, even with a smaller vessel like Voyager there are a lot of departments and they all have to submit reports. I'm glad you take half of them for me," she said.

"I can always take more when you're tired," he offered.

"Thanks, I'll remember that," she answered. She forked up some salad. The hydroponics garden has been a lifesaver. Kes certainly has a green thumb. These vegetables are delicious."

"They have added variety to our meals. It also helps save on replicator usage," agreed Chakotay. He knew Neelix had set aside tomatoes and lettuce for the cookout. He smiled as he thought how surprised she was going to be.

They finished their meal with light talk of the day's events.

They were all in Chakotay's office. Tomorrow was the party. They were making sure everything was set and ready to go.

"Tomorrow's the big day. Kathryn thinks we've forgotten her birthday. She hasn't got a clue about the party. I'm going to get her to the holodeck under the impression that it's just a new program I want her to see," said Chakotay.

"That seems a little mean, Chakotay. Couldn't you have come up with a better idea," asked Harry?

"I wanted to keep her completely in the dark. The surprise will make up for it. When she sees all the work we've done to pull this off, she'll be really happy," answered Chakotay. "So give me your updates. We don't want her to find us meeting and get suspicious."

"Well," began Tom. The program is installed in the holodeck system. It's ready to go. With the crew rotation schedule you set up, people should be able to come for part of the party."

"The timing for everything is in place," said B'Elanna. "The crew has had fun coming up with gifts for her. I did some research and got her an old fashioned Keurig to make coffee. A lot of the engineering crew is giving her the special K-cup packs. She won't have to replicate coffee for a long time." She grinned in delight.

"The food is prepped and ready to go," said Harry. "Neelix has outdone himself this time." He grinned. I got her a nice leather bound copy of Wuthering Heights. Her holonovel was based on that. I know she likes Jane Austen."

Tom smiled, "Those are great presents. In addition to giving her the holoprogram, I got her a locket like I gave Kes." He looked at Chakotay. It has a picture of you in it on one side and a picture of both of you at the resort. The Doc snapped a very candid photo. He was happy to give a copy to me for this."

"I hear the crew has come up with some nice gifts. She is going to know without a doubt how much everyone cares for her. Okay, the party starts tomorrow at 1700 hours. Make sure everyone is there on time, and I'll bring her at 1715," said Chakotay. "We'd better break up the meeting now. We're too close for this to be spoiled by her finding out."

Kathryn Janeway sat in her chair on the bridge. Today was her 40th birthday. No one had said a thing about it. She was feeling depressed. Tom and Harry had already left the bridge. She and Chakotay would be heading to supper soon she supposed. How could he of all people forget her birthday, especially one like this that was a milestone? She felt his hand on her arm.

"Say, before we to the mess hall, I need you to see this program I am working on. After some of the things we've been through, I thought an advanced tactical training program might be in order. I need your feedback. It won't take long."

"Okay," she sighed. "Let's go, I am ready for a hot meal."

After they entered the turbo, Lieutenant Rollins contacted Tom in the holodeck. "They're on the way. Is everyone ready?"

"We're all ready down here," thanks for letting us know answered Tom. He closed the channel. "Okay folks they're on the way, be ready to yell surprise as soon as the door opens."

They all gathered close to the door. The anticipation of surprising their Captain had their hearts pounding. It had been hard to pretend they had forgotten her birthday. She had been so glum all day, but the party would fix that.

The Captain and Chakotay stood in front of the entrance to the holodeck. He pressed the button to open the door surreptitiously watching her. The door slid open and the crew that was gathered therein yelled "Surprise!"

Tears sprang to her eyes. They hadn't forgotten. How could she have doubted them? Chakotay guided her in as people all around her began singing. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Captain, happy birthday to you!"

She wiped her eyes. "Thank you everyone. This is quite a surprise. I had no idea."

Chakotay lead her to the head table. "Have a seat, Captain. We'll have a plate for you shortly. I take you know where this is supposed to be."

"I know it quite well. It's the Indiana Sand Dunes National Park. I loved coming here," she smiled at everyone. "I'm betting that Tom had a hand in this program. I know he's been there too."

Tom grinned. "Yes, I created the program." He handed her a PADD. "It's all yours now, happy birthday, Captain."

Neelix sat a plate with a grilled burger, a heaping pile of potato salad, and a generous portion of baked beans in front of her. "Eat hearty, Captain. In a bit, I've made a birthday cake. Of course the birthday girl gets the first piece..

They all grinned at her reaction to birthday girl. It seemed years had dropped away from her face. This was exactly what she needed. What they all needed. Over time, they had melded into a family out here in the Delta Quadrant. Everyone got plates and settled down to eat.

"Later this evening I want to try out one of the sailboats," she said to Chakotay. "I think I'll pass on swimming for now. I'll save that activity for a time when it's just the two of us." She winked at him and whispered, "Swimming suits will be optional."

He grinned. "Sounds like something to really look forward to."

After everyone finished eating, Neelix brought out the Jebelian Fudge cake with numerical candles that proclaimed Captain Janeway had turned 40. He lit the candles and the assembled crew sang Happy Birthday again.

"Make a wish and blow out the candles," said Chakotay.

She closed her eyes for a few moments, and then blew out the candles. She cut the traditional first piece. After she had her piece, crew members began to present her with gifts as they got their cake. She was careful to keep the cards with the gifts so she send thank you notes later.

B'Elanna watched with anticipation as the opened the Keurig. The expression on her face was worth all the replicator rations it had taken. The engineering crew's gift of K-cups also brought smiles.

It was getting late, and she stood and tapped a spoon against her glass. When she had their attention, she spoke. "I want to thank all of you for the wonderful surprise and the thoughtful gifts. You've made this a birthday to remember."

They all began clapping. She blushed and smiled. Chakotay stood up beside and wrapped an arm around her. "I think we'd better all get ready to go. It's 0100 and some of us have Alpha shift and need our sleep. I'd like to add my thanks for helping me pull this off."

Later, in their quarters, Kathryn hugged him tightly. "Thank you, this is the best surprise I've ever had."

"There will more surprises on the way home," he promised. This was the woman he loved and he was determined to always make sure she was happy forever.


End file.
